The Basilica of Saint Francis, Assisi: Giotto’s Revolution in Plaster

Two earthquakes in September 1997 killed four people inside the basilica and brought sections of the vaulted ceiling of the Upper Church crashing down, destroying part of a Cimabue fresco in the process. Italian restorers spent years gathering and digitally cataloguing thousands of fresco fragments from the rubble, eventually re-integrating significant portions of the painted surface through painstaking conservation work that combined traditional craft with early image-matching technology. The basilica survived, the frescoes were stabilised, and the pilgrims came back. As of 2025, ongoing conservation work continues in sections of the structure, but the Upper Church and its Giotto cycle are fully accessible.

What Giotto did in Assisi around 1300 changed painting permanently. The 28-fresco cycle depicting the life of Saint Francis in the nave of the Upper Church introduced naturalistic human figures and spatial depth into Italian fresco tradition that had been essentially flat for centuries. Stand in front of the scene showing Saint Francis preaching to the birds and you’re looking at a moment where Western art found a new vocabulary. That is not hyperbole; art historians really do treat this cycle as a turning point.

Navigating the Basilica

The structure is built on two levels, both accessible through separate entrances.

The Upper Basilica (Basilica Superiore) is where the Giotto cycle lives: 28 scenes arranged in two registers along the nave walls, following Francis’s life from his youth through his canonisation. The light enters through Gothic windows and changes through the day; morning light from the east illuminates the right-side frescoes, afternoon light the left. Arrive early for the best conditions and to beat the tour groups that arrive from mid-morning.

The Lower Basilica (Basilica Inferiore) is older, darker, and more intimate. The crypt containing Saint Francis’s tomb is directly below, and the atmosphere down here - pilgrims praying in near-silence, Cimabue’s damaged frescoes in the transept, the dim vaults with their later fresco additions - has a weight that the well-lit upper church doesn’t quite match. Giotto also painted here: the Chapel of Mary Magdalene and sections of the transept ceiling.

Entry to both churches is free. Dress modestly; the basilica is an active religious site with regular masses and is not primarily a museum. Groups larger than about 25 require a guide.

Assisi Itself

The Piazza del Comune at the town’s centre contains the Temple of Minerva, a remarkably intact Roman temple facade (1st century BC) that was converted to Christian use in the medieval period. The contrast between the classical portico and the medieval urban fabric around it is one of Assisi’s quiet pleasures. The view across the Umbrian plain from the walls above the town deserves time.

The Basilica di Santa Chiara, dedicated to Saint Clare, is at the opposite end of the town from the Franciscan complex. The stripped Umbrian-Romanesque exterior leads into a church containing Clare’s relics and the crucifix of San Damiano, said to have spoken to Francis at the start of his conversion.

Where to Eat

Umbrian cooking is among the most serious regional traditions in Italy - black truffles from the surrounding hills, wild boar, porcini, Sagrantino wine from nearby Montefalco, hand-made pasta. Truffle pasta from any of the trattorias in the old town is the reliable standard; wild boar ragù is the other order worth having.

La Taverna dei Mercanti on Via dei Priori serves regional dishes with a good Umbrian wine list. Il Loggiuolo near the Piazza del Comune has a well-regarded truffle menu in a setting that doesn’t feel like it’s performing its own quaintness.

Getting There and Staying

The nearest major airport is Perugia’s Sant’Egidio (PEG), 30 minutes by car. Assisi has a train station 5 km from the old town, with connections to Perugia, Florence, and Rome. Taxis and occasional buses connect the station to the hilltop town.

Spring (April-May) and autumn (September-October) are the best times: mild temperatures, the light across the Umbrian plain is excellent, and the pilgrim crowds of summer haven’t arrived. Easter and the Feast of Saint Francis (October 4) bring significant crowds if that matters to you. The small hotels and B&Bs inside the old town walls are preferable to the larger establishments below; the experience of the town after the day-trippers leave is significantly better than being another commuter.